CZ28162U1 - Tire storage apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Technical field

The technical solution relates to the storage of tires, in particular long-term or seasonal storage of tires with or without discs. The technical solution describes an apparatus for carrying out a new way of storing different tires, in particular in the form of a rack or similar storage location.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For long-term storage of tires, for example seasonal tire storage, basic requirements are known which are different for tires with worn discs and for tires without discs. When the tires are stored in the post-production stage, storage can be optimized for precise dimensions and types, reducing the risk of unwanted deformation. Later, in sales depots and seasonal storage in workshops, tires are stored in a variety of configurations. Shelves are usually used for storage where the tires are placed upright. In general, disc tires should be stored flat on a flat surface and tires without discs should be stored upright. Tires should be kept in a cool, dry place without direct sunlight.

Drop hopper solutions are known, such as those described in CN 202006987 U, CN 102923429 A, CN 2589407 Y, but which are not suitable for seasonal tire storage because they can be picked in a different order than they were stored.

Also known are tire rack systems according to CA 2532695A1, KR 20110040505, US 2005/0230337 A1, JP 2007 254100, CN 201634167 U, JP 10 310208, but which do not solve tire deformations during long-term storage.

A solution with rigid cylindrical shells, cylindrical shells could also be used to prevent deformation. However, loading tires into such structures is complicated and storage requires different shell diameters. If one shell is used for a number of tires, the logistical availability of previously stored tires also deteriorates. The shell solution is also very expensive to invest and operate. This solution is useless for logistic unavailability of individual positions of specific tires, as well as for the inability of accurate and unambiguous evidence in the warehouse map.

A solution is required that is uniformly applicable to tires of different sizes, both for disc tires and non-disc tires, will allow the tires to be removed in any order and will prevent plastic deformation of the tires.

The essence of the technical solution

The deficiencies described in the prior art are overcome by the tire storage device, in particular for seasonal and long-term storage of both disc and non-disc tires, where the tires are stacked side by side, and where the device has a load carrying structure according to this technical solution. the essence is that it has transverse supports for laying the tire upright. These two supports transfer the weight of the tire to the support structure of the device. The distance between the supports is smaller than the diameter of the tires so that the tire does not fall between the supports. It will be advantageous if the distance between the supports is between 0.1 and 0.9 of the tire diameter.

Tires with or without discs can be stored uniformly in the machine. The tires are stacked side by side. The tire stands upright on two horizontal supports that are laid transversely to the tire, during storage the tire is upright, stored upright, and rotates by rolling that is generated by the rotating support. Standing and storing tires upright, on horizontal cross-members

U1 causes gradual deformation of the tire casing. For tires with discs, upright storage is not recommended at all, even when placed on a flat surface. The rotation of the tire in its axis during storage of the present invention avoids plastic deformation, and the tire can be placed without consequence only on two transverse supports where the weight of the tire is transmitted essentially only over two narrow lines, i.e. on a relatively small area.

Current solutions for responsible tire storage, especially of worn tires with discs, do not use upright mounting. This, together with the recommendations of the tire manufacturers, has led to the development of a technical belief that tires must not be stored upright. In fact, this situation is due to the fact that the tires stored in the upright form have not yet been able to be rewound at the necessary frequency at an acceptable cost, for example once a week. It should be noted here that in the tire storage service, the economic cost of the solution is an important factor, which in practice precludes the handling of the tire manually during storage (ie out of stock and unloading).

The presented solution will allow the tires to be rotated with low running costs, without changing the position of the tire in the warehouse map while also making good use of the available warehouse space.

The tire can be rotated in different modes and at different intervals or can be rotated continuously, continuously. In discontinuous rotation, it is sufficient for the space on the circumference of the tire to be offset by a few tens of centimeters from the previous position of contact between the support and the tire casing. In the case of occasional turning, the tire rotates at intervals such that the time period of the static phase is less than the time sufficient to cause plastic deformation. If the tire rotates intermittently, the rotation phase alternates with the stand phase, the residence time of the tire in one angular position of the stand is shorter than the time sufficient to cause its plastic deformation. In the next phase of rotation, the tire shall rotate to an angular position different from the previous position. The tire shall be rotated so that the position of the previous elastic deformation is outside the support. For example, the tire may be rotated once a week, once every 4 to 7 days, preferably once every 5 days, rotating on the circumference by 10 to 20 cm, preferably 8 to 12 cm. Usually, all tires in a given row will rotate, nor is it possible to separately rotate individual tires by means of a split support, where the individual tires in a row can be rotated. The rotation speed may be slow to reduce the energy consumption of the device. The speed of rotation can be so low that in a brief, normal view, rotation is not even observed. There is no need for fast rotation, as is used with disc rotation devices to show them on sale.

The new device is characterized by the fact that the tires of different types and sizes are of uniform or non-tire size and are mounted uniformly on the transverse supports, changing the position of the tire during storage. The use of transverse supports is seen as an unsuitable storage solution, but it simplifies the storage of different types of tires. The disadvantage of using transverse supports is compensated just by changing the position of the tire. The change in position may be substantially regular. This is accomplished by a method in which the rotation of the support is computer controlled or by a timer or the like. The support drive can be controlled by a dedicated control unit or even by a computer with a corresponding program.

In the case of computerized rotation control, the actual angular position of the support rotation can be sensed and electronically processed, for example by means of a sensor on a support or a sensor on an electric motor. It can be a position encoder, an angle encoder or a speed encoder. In this case, before unloading the tire, we can adjust the angular position of the tire to its original starting state as it was inserted into the rack. This will make it easier to read the ID plate, which will be directed towards the operator as it was when inserted into the rack.

The supports are rotatably supported and at least one cylindrical support is connected to a drive mechanism for rotating it. The drive mechanism may take various forms, such as a handwheel, a hand crank, a closed-belt drive or a motor drive. The motor drive may be coupled to the support by various types of gears such as chain transmission, belt transmission, toothed belt transmission, shaft and gear transmission and the like. The exact type of conversion does not have a major effect on achieving the desired function. It is also possible to arrange the motor drive directly inside the support, for example in the form of a slim motor such as used to drive a roller shutter.

The pivot support will typically have a cylindrical cross section, and thus will be a conventional tube with a pivotable end arrangement. In general, the support may also have a square or polygonal cross-section. The regular polygonal cross-section allows the contact surface of the tire with the support to be increased, but this requires that it rotate to a new static position by a multiple of one polygon angle.

Several tires will be stacked side-by-side in a row, and it is not a problem if they touch each other side of the tire. However, in some logistics applications, it is advisable that the tires be separated from each other into separate and identifiable positions. For example, in the case of seasonal high-capacity warehouses, it may be important that other tires in a given row do not move in position after removing the tire to facilitate identification of the tire. The storage system may use labeling and subsequent identification of the tires themselves using various methods (barcode, RFID tags, etc.), but if the tires are rotated during storage, the position of this identification element at the moment of removal may be unsuitable for the corresponding electronic reading. Therefore, it will be appropriate for each position in a row to be clearly identifiable, for example by assigning a label and an appropriate address, this will allow the tire to be identified by its location, not just by the label that can be just turned back.

For this reason, it will be necessary that the tire does not spontaneously move to a possible free adjacent position in the row. In particular, when the tire is rotated, the tire may have a tendency to slide laterally, for example due to slight unevenness, wear and the like. To prevent such undesirable mixing of positions during storage, a separating element may be used which defines the division of the row into individual tire positions in the transverse direction. The separating element may have different forms, for simplicity and clarity, the separating element may be formed by a vertically guided cable that will extend substantially midway between the supports. Tensioned strands with a plastic surface in the center plane are sufficient to separate the positions without causing high friction when rotating.

In one variant arrangement, the solution may be complemented by a band that encircles both of the struts. The belt is oriented as if it were performing the function of a belt, belt transmission of the supports. The belt has a developed length greater than that of the connection and the encircling of the two supports. This belt play creates an overhang on it. The overhang is intended for inserting a tire. When the tire is inserted between the supports, the belt is tensioned by the weight of the tire. The belt surrounds the tire and reduces the possibility of irregular deformation. In the lower center zone, the top and bottom layers may rub together, this will depend on the geometry selected, the size of the supports diameter and the size of the belt overhang. This counter-rotating friction can be prevented by means of a pulley inserted in the center of the belt. The pulley separates the opposing moving layers of the belt. The pulley may be mounted so that it has freedom in the vertical direction, but so that it cannot substantially deviate from the center plane, that is, it cannot touch the support itself.

The strip may have a width corresponding to the length of the entire row, provided that it does not interfere with the separating element. If a vertical strand separator is used, the plane with the supports is broken by the strands, and then for each position a single strip of a width corresponding to the given position, ie the distance between the strands, will be used.

When a belt is used, tires can also be stored in the machine for which the distance between the supports is greater than the diameter of the tire, so the aforementioned relationship according to which the distance between the supports will be in the range of 0.1 to 0.9

The device will usually take the form of a rack with uprights. The uprights will be part of the side load-bearing structure, in which rotary bearings for the supports will be created, which will form a classic racking partition. A rack can have multiple tire levels, it can be part of a superior rack system. If large-scale storage is required, it will be advantageous to have the device

-3E 28162 U1 floors according to available warehouse height, where tires will be stacked in rows above each other. In such a case, the drive of the supports may be coupled, using one motor to drive several supports.

If there are multiple racks in the warehouse, they can be interconnected by a gear or shaft coupling or the like. As a result, a single rack motor can drive the entire rack system. The transfer can be conducted over or under the shelves. In another solution, the at least one rack support may be supported such that a shaft extends through the bearing housing of the support housing and is accessible from the side of the web. By connecting these shafts, for example by means of a flexible hose with clips, the rotation of all supports is rotationally connected. The transmission used to connect the racks can be simple, as it will not be exposed to high revs and will not transmit high power. Interconnecting the racks will reduce the number of engines and thus reduce the cost of building the equipment.

In principle, however, the device may also be formed in a different form from the shelf, for example in the form of a ceiling hinge and the like. If the load-bearing structure will consist of an under-ceiling hinge, otherwise hard-to-reach spaces will be suitably used. Tires are basically stocked and picked up only two times a year. The ceiling hinge will have pivot supports with the same arrangement options as previously described. The ceiling hinge may have a lowering mechanism for lowering the hinge vertically and raising it up. This will allow convenient loading and unloading of tires from the floor.

The present technical solution is simple, it can be manufactured using existing elements of racking systems, which are supplemented by rotatably supported supports. The advantages of the described technical solution include simple storage of various tires without permanent deformation. Last but not least advantage of the device according to this technical solution is the possibility of integration into a logistic unit, in which each tire can be quickly found and removed.

Tires can be rotated in a very energy-efficient way, they do not move to another position in the warehouse when rotating. The simplicity and energy efficiency of the solution makes it possible to use the new solution also in new tire depots, for example in internet retailers' warehouses where they have not yet dealt with the quality of tire storage for economic reasons.

Clarification of drawings

The technical solution is explained in more detail with the help of Figures 1 to 9. The illustrated size, width, tire profile, specific number of levels in racks, number of tires in one row and examples of propulsion are illustrative only and should not be construed as restricting the scope of protection.

Figure 1 shows the basic position of the tire on transverse supports of cylindrical cross section, where one support is driven to rotate, the other support freely rotates as the tire rolls.

Figure 2 illustrates the use of a hexagonal cross-section for both props that are both driven.

Figure 3 shows a side view of a three-storey rack where a broken line is an example of a rotary chain link support.

Figure 4 shows the rack when unloading the last tire from the middle deck.

Figure 5 shows the rack in front view. The four tires in the lower right-hand corner are turned by the computer-controlled engine to the unloading position, with the barcode label facing the operator.

Figures 6 and 7 show the principle of using a belt with a free roller. Figure 6 shows the belt in the unloaded state, the belt being tensioned only by the weight of the pulley. Figure 7 shows the same belt after inserting the tire, the pulley used to separate the lower and upper branches of the belt.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate an overhead suspension with supports.

- 4.

Figure 8 shows the storage of tires and the rotation of the supports by pulling the control line similar to the operation of roller shutters. The wheel over which the support, from which the control line extends in the foreground, rotates, covers the left cylindrical support, which is similar in shape and size to the right support shown.

Figure 9 then depicts the lowering of the suspension from the ceiling by means of a rope hoist when loading and unloading the tires. The rope that controls the lowering of the chain block is not shown in the figure for simplicity.

Examples of technical solutions

Example 1

In this example of Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5, the tire storage device 1 takes the form of a three-storey rack. The rack has side walls with uprights 5. The side walls are connected to each other by two partitions extending in the central plane. Each tray has two pivotally mounted cylindrical supports 2, which are anchored in a support on the uprights 5. On each floor, one cylindrical support 2, 21 is driven, the other support 2, 22 being only freely rotatable.

In this example, all three driven cylindrical supports 2.21 are coupled to each other by a chain drive to which a DC electric motor with a small worm gear is connected. In another example, the drive mechanism 3 may have a different form.

There are openings in the top and bottom partitions in which the steel cables are anchored, tensioned by tension springs with hooks. In the figures, this detail with springs is not shown for clarity. These cables form a separating element 4, the spacing of the cables determines the width of the space for an individual tire. L Anchorage of the cable over the spring allows the slightly wider tire 1 to be inserted into the space. despite the fact that the separating element 4, i.e. the cable, has only a small cross-section.

In this example, the prototype device was used by rotating the tire 1 with the disks every five days, with the tire 1 rolling approximately 10 cm around the circumference of the tire 1 in one rotation step. In this procedure, no measurable deformation was formed on the tire 1.

Example 2

In this example of Figures 2 and 5, the tire storage device 1 is in the form of a three-storey rack similar to the previous example. In contrast to this example, however, the cross-section of the two supports 2 is hexagonal. Both supports 2 are driven because friction on the non-driven support could not lead to its rotation derived from the rotation of the tire 1. In the static position, the two supports 2 are adjusted so that the tire 1 rests on the surface, not on the edge of the support 2.

Example 3

In this example of Figures 6 and 7, the device has a closed belt 7 mounted on the supports 2. The pulley 8 is inserted between the upper and lower branches of the belt 7, thereby separating the opposing moving layers. When the tire 1 is inserted, the belt 7 tightens the belt 7. This reduces the deformation of the tire 1.

Example 4

In the example of Figure 8, the device is designed as a ceiling hinge 6 with one pair of supports

2. The drive of the support 2 is rotated by hand, using a wheel and a chain strap, which can be pulled by hand without using a ladder. Once a week, for example on Fridays, the operator will pull the belt by a specified length, thereby rotating the stored tires 1.

-5GB 28162 U1

Such a ceiling solution can also be supplemented by lowering the entire suspension 6 by means of a pulley mechanism to the floor of the room according to figure 9, where the tires 1 can be conveniently loaded or unloaded.

The hinge 6 may also be provided with an electric rotation of the support 2 and an electric lowering of the hinge 6 to the floor.

Industrial applicability

The industrial applicability of the technical solution is obvious. According to this technical solution, it is possible to industrially and repeatedly manufacture and use devices for storing various tires, in particular in the form of racks. It is also possible to store different tires without damage and permanent deformation, making good use of available storage space, the tires are not moved to another position in the warehouse when rotating, and their rotation is energy efficient.

Claims (27)

PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS 1. Tire storage devices, in particular for seasonal and long-term storage of tires (1) with discs and tires (1) without discs, where multiple tires (1) are stacked side by side and where the device has a load-bearing structure (1), characterized in that it has transverse supports (2) for standing the tire (1); these supports (2) are rotatably mounted in a support structure; and the at least one support (21) is connected to a drive mechanism (3) for rotating it, which causes the tire (1) to roll on the supports (2). Tire storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the supports (2) is smaller than the diameter of the tires (1). Tire storage device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least free-pivoting support (22) has a circular cross-section. Tire storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that both supports (21) are driven. Tire storage device according to any one of claims 1,2,4, characterized in that the driven support (21) has a polygonal cross-section. Tire storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the drive mechanism (3) is manual. Tire storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the drive mechanism (3) is motorized. Tire storage device according to claim 7, characterized in that the driven support (21) is adapted to continuously rotate. Tire storage device according to claim 7, characterized in that the driven support (21) is adapted for intermittent rotation with alternating phases of rotation and standstill such that the residence time of the tire (1) in one angular standstill position is less than sufficient to the emergence of hers The plastic deformation and the tire (1) are then rotated to an angular position different from the previous standing position at the next stage. Tire storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the drive of the supports (21) is controlled by the control unit by means of a computer with corresponding software. Tire storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the drive of the supports (21) is adapted to rotate the tire (1) every 4 to 7 days. Tire storage device according to claim 11, characterized in that the drive of the supports (21) is adapted to rotate the tire (1) every 5 days. Tire storage device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the drive of the supports (21) is adapted for a single step rolling of the tire (1) by 5 to 20 cm. Tire storage device according to claim 13, characterized in that the drive of the supports (21) is adapted for a one-step rolling of the tire by 8 to 12 cm. Tire storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that at least one support (21, 22) is provided with a position sensor and / or an angle sensor and / or a speed sensor. Tire storage device according to claim 15, characterized in that the drive of the supports (21) is coupled to a pivot control to a start position which corresponds to the state when the corresponding tire (1) is stored. Tire storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the driven supports (21) are coupled together. Tire storage device according to claim 17, characterized in that the driven supports (21) are coupled by a chain transmission or a belt transmission or a toothed belt transmission or a shaft transmission and a transmission. Tire storage device according to claim 7, characterized in that each driven support (21) has its own motor. Tire storage device according to claim 19, characterized in that the engine is located inside the tube driven by the support (21). Tire storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that the supports (2) connect the belt (7) to the play and overhang for inserting the tire (1). Tire storage device according to claim 21, characterized in that it has a roller (8) for separating the contact between the opposing moving layers of the belt (7). Tire storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that it has separating elements (4) for separating adjacent tires (1) from one another. Tire storage device according to claim 23, characterized in that the separating element (4) forms a vertically extending cable. -7 GB 28162 U1 Tire storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that the supporting structure is formed by at least one rack with uprights (5), wherein the supports (2) are rotatably mounted in the uprights (5) and the rack has multiple tire levels (5). 1). Tire storage device according to claim 25, characterized in that the supporting structure is formed by a plurality of freestanding racks, wherein the supports (2) of adjacent racks are rotationally coupled and one rack is provided with a motor which drives the rotation of the supports (2) more independently of standing shelves. Tire storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that the supporting structure is formed by an under-ceiling hinge (6) with a lowering mechanism for lowering the hinge down and lifting up.